The NRC (or the Commission) issued a proposed rule on February 26, 2026 to regulate commercial fusion under its byproduct material framework rather than as a traditional nuclear power reactor. These regulations aim to provide...more
In late February 2026, the NRC issued a proposed rule titled Regulatory Framework for Fusion Machines, which regulates the possession, use and production of byproduct material associated with fusion machines under Part 30...more
The NRC saw major staffing transitions in 2025, including an unprecedented number of vacancies at the senior staff level. As 2026 kicks off, the Commission has returned to a full slate of five, and the agency has filled...more
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently released Draft Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DSS-ISG-2025-XX, Treatment of Certain Loss-of-Coolant Accident Locations as Beyond-Design-Basis Accidents. The draft guidance, if...more
Under the auspices of Section 5 of Executive Order 14300, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published on November 26, 2025 an immediately effective final rule,...more
The federal government shut down at 12:01 am on October 1, 2025 in the absence of legislation to appropriate funds for government operations. In the event of a temporary lapse of appropriations, agencies including the US...more
For companies subject to regulatory oversight of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Tuesday could mark the beginning of a critical chapter in the agency’s history. ...more
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) issued a Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) on July 28, 2025, directing NRC staff to proceed with rulemaking to implement the National Environmental Policy Act...more
The Commission recently issued a Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) directing NRC Staff to revise the NRC’s National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) regulations at 10 CFR Part 51 and update related NRC guidance and...more
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently issued a direct final rule extending the duration of design certifications (DCs) for nuclear reactors from 15 to 40 years. The rule will automatically go into effect on...more
President Donald Trump signed four separate executive orders (EOs) on May 23, 2025, intended to result in a quadrupling of U.S. nuclear energy capacity to 400 gigawatts (GW) by 2050, all while strengthening domestic fuel...more
Directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to undergo structural, cultural, and regulatory reform to accelerate licensing timelines, reduce costs, and support rapid deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. Requires the NRC...more
In April 2023, we reported on federal efforts to streamline fusion energy regulations. At that time, the Commissioners of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) voted to approve a proposal expected to accelerate the...more
President Trump’s February 18th Executive Order entitled, “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies,” represents a sweeping effort to consolidate federal executive branch lawmaking power with the President. The Order’s...more
If accepted, the new Draft Regulatory Guide DG-4034, “General Site Suitability Criteria for Nuclear Power Stations,” may facilitate the siting of both advanced and traditional reactors closer to population centers. The...more
The move represents a step forward for the small modular nuclear reactor industry, but legislative uncertainty over new nuclear facilities in the US remains. As part of long-range plans to address climate change, many...more
A September 2022 Preliminary White Paper issued by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Staff, “Licensing and Regulating Fusion Energy Systems,” indicates that the NRC is considering the option of regulating commercial...more
First, the Commission voted to not conduct a formal rulemaking on the NRC’s current environmental review process under 10 CFR Part 51. Separately, the staff proposed alternative timelines for a rulemaking to revise the...more
The Commission recently approved the NRC Staff’s recommendation to pursue a 24-month schedule for updating the agency’s Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (LR GEIS). The Commission’s...more
In early 2022, blog author Amy Roma spoke with a Bloomberg Law reporter about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Part 53 rulemaking efforts to support advanced reactor licensing. Amy’s position is that the NRC...more
The Commission recently issued SRM-SECY-19-0100, in which it disapproved, by a 2-to-1 vote, a request made by the NRC staff that sought approval to discontinue the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) Security...more
On December 10, the NRC staff issued SECY-21-0105 seeking approval from the NRC commissioners to publish a notice of final rule that would officially replace the NRC's sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI)...more
NRC Commissioners Christopher Hanson, David Wright, and Jeff Baran recently voted 2-1 (Commissioner Baran dissenting) to implement SECY-21-0029, “Rulemaking Plan on Revision of Inservice Testing and Inservice Inspection...more
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved publication in the Federal Register of a proposed rule, “Regulatory Improvements for Production and Utilization Facilities Transitioning to Decommissioning” on November 3,...more
Last week the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment on categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). NEPA requires that...more